York's cricketers recovered from their disappointing defeat by Hull last Monday with a gentle kick around at soccer immediately after the game - and they will aim to be relaxed for this weekend's league and cup trials.

The defeat cost them fourth place in the ECB Yorkshire League when they exchanged places with Sheffield Collegiate, but they face another testing head-to-head battle with a trip to tenth place Cleethorpes tomorrow.

They then follow that with a Yorkshire League Cup showdown with Collegiate on Sunday.

Because Abbeydale Park is booked for the Yorkshire and Derbyshire League cup final, Collegiate have been obliged to forfeit ground advantage for the League Cup semi-final against York and now visit Clifton Park on Sunday (12.30 start).

Hopefully Collegiate will bring with them the National Club Knock Out Cup, if they can beat the Eastbourne side that beat Harrogate in the 1998 Final.

Collegiate play Eastbourne at Lord's in the final this afternoon.

York expect to be unchanged on both days, although it is possible that Ben Quick might not have recovered from a thigh strain sustained when fielding against Hull last Monday, in which case Ed Senneck will be brought into the York side.

Harrogate's title hopes have gone through a period of ups and downs like a yo-yo in the last few weeks, but they are now emerging as favourites to win the league for the first time since they were crowned league champions in successive years in 1997 and 1998.

Last year, 'Gate were runners-up to Doncaster Town in the League but the boot seems destined to be on the other foot with Doncaster and Sheffield United favourites to be in the other front three places.

But even with two or, in some cases, three games to go to the end of the season, forecasting is still a hazardous pursuit, even at this late stage, as the final placings are tossed around from club to club with the unpredictable weather likely to intervene here and there.

Scarborough's skipper, Nick Tubbs, is leaving his final team selection to face Castleford at Savile Park until late as he checks on injuries and availablity.